Chapter 8

What Xain saw in front of him wasn't something he thought he would ever see. What stood in front of him wasn't a human, demi-human, automaton, or vampire. What stood before him was clad in a priest's black coat, only its head and hands could be seen. The head of it was leathery with open sections on the skin; it had no lips, and Xain could see its sharp teeth. It had no nose, no eyes, no ears, but Xain could still feel its gaze on him. He could feel it hear his every movement, his heartbeat, and he could feel it smell his fear.

What stood in front of Xain opened its mouth. "Why are you afraid, master? Or are my senses failing me?" Its voice was strange, like a whisper but not hard to hear, scratchy yet proper. What stood in front of Xain was something he had only read about in books, in stories, and the last place Xain would expect to find something like the thing in front of him was a church, a holy place. What stood in front of Xain was a demon.

*Did it just call me master?* Xain thought, instinctively taking a step back. The demon tilted its head in apparent confusion. "Why are you backing away, master?" the demon's strange voice, echoed through the church. Xain gulped, attempting to conceal his fear. "It's kind of hard not to when there's a demon in front of you," he quipped, struggling to hide his unease.

"Hmm, I do not understand, master. Why would you back away because of a reason like that?" the demon asked as it took a step towards Xain. He replied, "I think you're confusing me for someone else cause I'm not your master."

As Xain said this, he could feel the demon's gaze intensify for a moment before stopping. "I apologize, but to have two souls in one's body is uncommon, thus I mistook you for the one sharing your body," the demon explained. Xain looked shocked. "You can see that?" he asked, and the demon nodded. "I can, and judging by your reaction, am I right in assuming that I am the first demon you have encountered?" it asked as Xain nodded in response.

"Interesting," the demon remarked, its gaze fixed on Xain as if scrutinizing him. Xain, feeling like a statue, remained unsure of how to react. "May I ask whom you share your body with?" the demon inquired. Xain nervously shrugged, saying, "Sure, I guess?" The demon stood there, its gaze unwavering, waiting for the answer. "Oh, I guess that was you asking, wasn't it? Sorry," Xain apologized before revealing, "Um, Ercale. It's Ercale."

The demon placed its right hand on its chin, or where a chin might be, and Xain observed the leathery hand, lacking the sections found on its head. Instead of nails, sharp black claws adorned its fingers, reminiscent of the claws Lennix can grow. "I see. Is the sharing of bodies consensual, or is it forced?" the demon asked, prompting Xain's contemplation. *Am I seriously having a conversation with a demon right now?* he wondered.

"It's consensual... I think? He just kind of woke up in me? Came into me? Was in me the whole time? I don't know, but he doesn't forcefully take over me," Xain explained. The demon nodded its head. "I understand, however, I think you may need to work on your phrasing," it remarked, leaving Xain momentarily puzzled before realization struck. "You know what I mean!" he exclaimed, hastily covering his mouth. *I just yelled at a demon! I'm so dead!* Xain thought, anticipating repercussions that never came. "Fear not, child. I pose no harm unless you threaten the inhabitants of this village," the demon reassured.

Xain found himself grappling with a perplexing mix of emotions. How should one react when a demon, a creature most people fear, not only engaged in conversation but also displayed a surprisingly courteous demeanor, akin to that of a butler? "You're a lot nicer than Erkie," Xain commented, and the demon folded its arms in response. "If the Ercale residing within your body is the same Lord Ercale that I know of, then I do not doubt it. Lord Ercale was known for many things, but kindness was not one of them," it replied.

Xain's eyes widened in surprise. "You know Erkie?" he asked, taken aback since the demon showed no reaction when he initially mentioned Ercale. "Yes, I do. Every demon knew Lord Ercale's name; he was the strongest of all the Demon Lords, after all," the demon stated with a nod. "Excuse me, what? The strongest of what now?" Xain questioned. While he was aware of what Demon Lords were, thanks to Ercale's explanations, he didn't expect Ercale to be considered the strongest, especially after witnessing his battle with Eirisse.

"Judging by your reaction, it seems he hasn't enlightened you, so I must refrain from divulging more. My apologies, as sharing further information may jeopardize my existence, child," the demon explained. Xain shrugged, displaying a nonchalant demeanor. He was only a little curious. "I have a name, by the way. It's Xain," he mentioned, the initial fear of encountering a demon having dissipated given the demon's unexpected politeness.

"I see, then I shall refer to you from now on as Xain, child," the demon replied. Xain chose not to address the fact that the demon had referred to him as a child again; his curiosity was currently fixated on other matters. "Can I ask what your name is?" Xain asked, adopting a subtle mimicry of the demon's refined speech. "I do not have one, Xain. I have yet to be named," the demon responded, prompting Xain to scratch his head. *Guess that's a demon thing?* he pondered before asking, "Okay, then. Can I ask why you're here? Why is a demon protecting a village? Not to sound insensitive, but that doesn't seem like a very demonic thing to do," Xain noted, acknowledging Ercale's previous explanation that not all demons were inherently malevolent. Nevertheless, it still struck him as unusual to witness a demon actively protecting a village.

"That is due to my contract with Levarick. Before his demise, he had summoned me and contracted me to safeguard the village of Wolfdale," the demon explained. Xain nodded along, pretending to understand while internally thinking, *I see, I don't get it.* Once again, he wished Ercale was here to explain things to him.

"Why can't you just attack the mercenaries? Just scare them off. I doubt they could win against a demon, no matter how many of them there are," Xain asked, his assumption fueled by the belief that all demons were inherently strong. After all, they were demons, for crying out loud. "My contract forbids me from venturing outside of Wolfdale. Thus, if they do not breach the village, my actions are limited," the demon explained.

"Alright then, do yo-" Xain was abruptly cut off as they both heard the door of the church open. Xain turned to see...